Minerva: Journal Entries of the Green Ninja's Kid
by Kessie-Louise
Summary: Minerva Florence Garmadon; that's what they were told to call her. When Kai calls on Zane to help raise Lloyd's newly born daughter before the Green Ninja basically disappears off the Earth, Zane begins a journal of the young girl's development and relations. As she grows, lies are told and truths are revealed, but one thing remains; where has Lloyd gone? Working title,and chapters
1. Entry 1: Kai's Request

"_Adoption is a redemptive response to tragedy that happens in this broken world."  
― Katie J. Davis_

. . . . . . . .

It's been eighteen years to the day since the Overlord had been defeated, and I have found that interesting things tend to happen on this day. From the smaller miracles of a missing little girl being found years later when she had a little girl of her own, to the more outwards propositions of Kai asking me to help raise Lloyd's daughter with him. In my mind (or hard drives as the case may be), I do not see how Lloyd did not give the child to his mother or father, or even Sensei. Were they not more of blood than Kai? Did Lloyd have other theories in mind than the lifespan of his own family? No matter what had happened, after Lloyd had given the young child into Kai's guidance, he had disappeared along with our next generation's replacements; Emily, Jason, and Montgomery (who is Jay and Nya's son). We, as the past generation, tried our best to find Lloyd and the next generation but they seemed to have been lost. However, other matters stressed on. Sensei and Garmadon soon passed away over the loss of Lloyd and the next generation that seemed to be as strong as us, their precursors. Lloyd's daughter now had lost almost all of her family, and according to Kai's letter, she seemed to be quite aware of the disturbance.

'Her name is Minerva.' Kai explained in his letter. 'The long version being Minerva Florence Garmadon, just as Lloyd told me so don't ask. He had shortly explained that it was a way of hinting at her heritage when she is older. I don't get it, but you and I know that Lloyd had his reasons... insane as they are to us. Emily also seemed rather silent, isn't her middle name Florence too?'

To me (after extending certain logic perimeters), it sounded as if Emily could have been the mother, but I have so far kept that theory to myself.

Kai concluding his letter with a request for me to come help oversee the young child's development, as if I would know much about the subject. But I could not turn down a friend in need, no less the child of a friend who was currently missing in action. So now I have fully packed everything and will begin the trip to Kai's home with Falcon tomorrow, weather permitting. I will begin writing down daily or weekly musings of Minvera's development for a reference in the future, or if she wishes to know about her childhood when she will inevitably be too old to fully remember them properly.

I will discuss with Kai on how we shall tell her of me being a Nindroid... or of how to explain her own birth.


	2. Entry 2: Discussing the Explaining

_It is always exciting to meet someone new, regardless of outcome._

_-Anonymous_

. . . . . . . .

It has been a week and twelve hours since I was able to write in the journal to record Minvera's life. At the moment, as she is only a week and three days, there is not much to actually record. You see, humans at a certain age have little control over... anything. Even a fully functioning human baby has to gain control of their muscles; it starts from the head and they continue to gain control of their torsos, arms, legs, then finally their toes and fingers. Minerva is in the stage of head control, or should be at the most. I do believe she is still too young, but she is stubborn and persistent. Minerva may be able to do sometimes sooner than most human babies at certain stages, but it is still too early to tell.

In the mean time, Kai and I have discussed our plans on raising young Minerva. I have 'beaten the books' on childhood development as Kai had requested, but we both believe that these books of advice may not always have an effect of Minerva... even more so when she is the genetic reproduction of Lloyd. We have agreed that we will inform her of my being a Nindroid when she is at an age where acceptance is usually well received. As for the subject of her birth, however, we have decided to conceal to her that Lloyd is her father and what he has done for Ninjago. She will learn than what she needs to know in her schooling years, and since we can not find him, it would be better for us to save the explaining of the subject for as long as we are able. At least... that is what Kai had seemed set upon. I do not find it acceptable, she will want to know more of Lloyd as she is older. If not, she will venture on what had become of her parents. Kai has already shown signs of not acknowledging that he is an adopted parent. Instead, he has taken more so of a 'grandfather.' Why this generation jump, I asked him and he explained, is due to that Lloyd is technically younger than us by a near generation. So, in some respect, he would be old enough to be a grandfather if he himself had decided to have children. I am to remain as the 'uncle' although of my lack of aging. It seems logical to Kai, and I admit I can see some truth in it, but that does not mean that I do not completely understand.


	3. Entry 3: Misako's Visits

_The best parents become grandparents._

_-Anonymous_

. . . . . . . .

I find it most comforting when Misako comes to watch Minerva for a few or several hours. Kai is elated that he does not have to change any 'surprises' (although I am not sure why when I am usually the one set with the task), while I find myself more at ease to know that the two females have each other. In a way, there are all the family they have left. But I do wonder and process; for how much longer? Misako's health has... declined greatly since the fall of Sensei and Garmadon and the disappearance of Lloyd and the second generation. She appears as if she is 'a hop inside the grave' on many days and should not be doting on a child so young. But, as stated earlier, the two females enjoy each others company. The only thing that could separate the two generations _would_ be death... but it is not wise to dwell on this concept long.

Misako has pushed on that since Minerva is now four months old, she should be able to enjoy the outdoors more. But we are to take it slow; a human baby can become overwhelmed quickly. So Kai and I have begun to rotate taking the baby girl to the park at different times of the day. Misako has also taken Minerva on outings. I feel it is due that she feels remorse (and/or remembers) leaving Lloyd at a young age, and is now horrified that his daughter now faces the same trial... albeit with certain variables. But to Misako, it is all the same. I can see it in her eyes.

On another, near related note, Jay and Nya have been recovering from their loss of Lloyd and their son, Montgomery, over these months. Nya refused to try for another, insisting that Montgomery was enough and no other child will replace who he was or is. Jay can not argue, and how could he really? He had trusted Lloyd to protect Montgomery, even when his boy was fully trained at the time, and yet they were all gone. Disappeared off the Earth with no sign of coming or being back. In a type of grief state, Nya and Jay come to visit young Minerva as well to take a turn at lending a hand to raise her. It is odd though, why hasn't Cole come forward to either see Lloyd's daughter or even question where he had gone for all these years. All of us are here, to watch this human baby as if she was actually Lloyd's reincarnation to tell us what has become of him, but Cole still has yet to be seen.

None of us has seen him since we had failed to find Lloyd and the second generation. I'm sure Falcon could find him for us so we can all sit down and talk for the first time in... well... ages.


	4. Entry 4: A Reminder

_If you run out of words, make sound effects._

_-Kessie L. R. G._

. . . . . . . .

Minerva is now six months old and beginning to babble more constantly and in patterns. Just earlier today we (Misako, Kai, and myself) have deciphered her babbling a 'ne uh' and 'me uh.' We take this as an early version of 'Nya' and possibly her own name 'Minerva.' Misako has stated that we give Minerva a nickname so that it would be easier to say. A mere second later, Misako had already chosen 'Mina' as the nickname. Neither Kai nor I could disagree with this name, not since Misako has taken on a more... demanding role in Minerva's reverence. However, she is her paternal grandmother. She has more jurisdiction over Minerva than we technically do.

Meanwhile, Falcon is on the look out for Cole. I have written and attached a letter on Falcon's foot explaining that it would be a pleasure talking with him again, should Falcon succeed in finding Cole. We are all present here, in Minerva's nursery room, except for Cole. Has the disappearances shaken him up that much? We used to be brothers, but now we are distant if it wasn't for this human baby reproduction of Lloyd. Or, it could be because of her. But I do not want to think of it that way; it is not her fault that Lloyd has gone missing. She is the reminder, yes, but not the cause.

But why did Lloyd leave us 'in the dark?' Kai had said many times that Lloyd had refused to tell him where the second generation was going or if they would be back soon. Maybe Minerva does a have a point in all of this. Perhaps not to the most exaggerated degree, but still a part of what has happened. Perhaps I will bring this up when Cole has been located and we can all sit down to talk. Minerva herself might be the clue needed to find Lloyd and the second generation. However... how old does she need to be before she reveals this clue to us?


	5. Entry 5: A New Hope?

_Regrets collect like old friends; Here to relive your darkest moments._

_-Florence & the Machine_

. . . . . . . .

Falcon has found Cole! It turns out, he has been caring for his father and taking place in the barber shop quartet on the side. He has turned a deaf hear to Minerva's arrival and Lloyd's disappearance. Apparently, his father has been suffering from mass memory loss. I was able to convince him to come to Minerva's first birthday in a few more weeks, taking his father with him of course. We all need a hopeful reminder, and perhaps Minerva will give us all a hope that Lloyd is still out there alive.

This child, was born on the same day we defeated the Great Devourer. She was delivered to Kai on the day the Overlord was defeated. If she was not the child of Lloyd, I would say there was something certainly above norm of her. But it is what we want to believe, she is only a child with one parent that has excelled above all others. We can not force our ideas of her being as great (or greater) than Lloyd in her older years. She is her own person. Whether she makes a great name of herself or sells it all to rather unsavory characters, Minerva will be who ever she wants to be. We will love and care for her until the day Lloyd and the second generation returns... or when we are certain of their location.

Kai was the one that had promised to protect and care for Minerva, but it is all of us who truly protect and care for her. We are a team, and a team is by each other no matter the circumstances. We are to stand together because this is a time of need. We are stronger together than alone, Minerva's safety depends on it. No... on us. Minerva's safety depends on... us. We are all willing to stand up for the task... are we not? If we were not prepared, would we not all be here right now?


	6. Entry 6: Ratios and Variables

_I believe in presents from the heart, like a drawing that a child does._

_-Victoria Beckham_

_. . . . . . . ._

Mina's first birth party was a wonderful gathering. Cole and his father (who seemed to be lucid but... off) had arrived. My own father, who has been teaching a student of his that he had last seen before my father had died, had come to the party as well. He had presented Mina a very well made replica of Falcon, but not as productive. My father had described it as a 'over glorified tin toy' and I must say I do agree with this.

Cole's father had served as 'bitter amusement' several occasions. Many times he wondered where he was, or what was going on. Several times, he believed that Minerva was his own child and that Cole was a business partner. Other times, he saw Minerva as his grandchild and Cole had married Nya. It was one of the few times were we all enjoyed a good laugh, even Nya seemed to be enjoying herself. It has been a long time since any of us has heard her laugh.

I do believe that Mina gives us a degree of hope. Or at the most, gives us a sense that something, somewhere, people are at peace with the little things that go right for once. It is like the peace all Ninjago felt when the Overlord was defeated. However, if you look at Minerva at just the right moment, all hope you believed you had would disappear. Deaths that effected you heavily, or even the disappearance of Lloyd and the second generation, would come back in your memory as if it was only the first time you had gained them. Today though, there was not a sad thought around. Mina was enjoying herself, so we enjoyed ourselves as well.

We were able to sit down as the first generation for the first time in nearly two decades after Mina had been placed in bed and Cole was sure his father was sleeping. We discussed many things (including Kai's decision of not explaining Lloyd's past to Minerva and my theory on if Minerva's role in the disappearance), but of all things we laughed, and we cried, and we had a good talk. The only thing we felt we were missing was Lloyd... and Sensei. We were silent for several minutes; thinking of the times spent and wasted when we were a team. We thought of the things we said, and what we didn't, and what we should have said different. Minerva is... NO! I will not process such notions against Minerva. NEVER! I can not visualize her future, I can only make predictions based on ratios and variables. Very little do these ratios and variables prove accurate.

But there is still that 'one in a billion'.


	7. Entry 7: A Kai-ndly Conversation

_Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless._

_-Mother Teresa_

_. . . . . . . ._

Hello, it's Kai. I've decided to write an entry in Zane journal about Mina. Don't worry, I asked! Honest! I've wanted to say some things about Mina as well that I may never be able to communicate the same way again when she is older.

Alright, so Mina has starting to say more intelligent things now and today she looked and me and said 'Popop.' Not long after, Jay started to laugh so I have a feeling that he told her to do that. But you know, I'm actually kind of proud she recognizes me like that. Don't get me wrong, I love that little twerp as much as I do Nya. But 'Popop'? Not only am I going to pummel Jay for making Mina do that, but it's going to take a while to smack that 'Popop' out of her vocabulary. I am her surrogate grandfather, not popcorn.


	8. Entry 8: Nya's Letter for the Future

_People like us, we gotta stick together; Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever._

_-Kelly Clarkson_

_. . . . . . . ._

Dear older Minerva... I'm sure you've grown a lot. Being raised by Kai, I'm sure you're stubborn enough. As Lloyd's daughter, I'm also sure that you are humble and as caring as I remember Lloyd being. You are 18 months now as I write this, and you are special. Don't get me wrong, you'll always be special, but the times I can spend with you are made even more special.

You are not my child. I know that... but there are moments were I openly lash out at you because I fear you are too alike to Montgomery. I'm sorry for those moments, I'm sure they've scared you as much as they've scared me. You are nothing like Montgomery at your age (at any age) and that means that you are your own person. Make your own mistakes, and learn from them. I love you... but it is hard not to love you like my own child.

From, your 'great-aunt' Nya


	9. Entry 9: Not Worth the Expected

_A robot can obey orders given to it its human being, except where orders conflict with the First Law._

_-Rule #2 of the Three Laws of Robotics, abridged_

_. . . . . . . ._

I have been letting the others take turns in writing entries in this journal. This is due to the fact that my view is not the only one used as Minerva grows. Who knows? Maybe one day, Minerva will be able to write in this journal herself. I must admit though, I have encrypted certain entries and content to keep Kai's wish that she never properly know of Lloyd. As previously stated, I do not agree with Kai's idea, but I must keep it. My father did give me knowledge of the Three Laws of Robotics, and as I feel it is my duty to keep a good counsel on them as seeing my nature as a robotic creation.

Minvera is growing quite well. She finds Cole's father very funny, and she knows she can find comfort in the rest of us. Unfortunately, she has entered the 'terrible twos' and frequents in tempers. However, she had begun to do something quite... interesting. With most tantrums, a child may scream and stomp their feet until given what they wanted to do. When Minerva starts to stomp her feet, little tremors from the ground quake. This makes everyone scared and surprised to a degree, including Minerva herself. Misako then soothes Minerva when this happens. Misako has discussed with us about this happening, and she slowly admitted that this was one of the signs she knew that Lloyd would be the Green Ninja some day. At this, we were outraged and relieved. We wanted Minerva to be special... but when we heard what we wanted, was it worth it?

Kai is now silently angry at Lloyd for giving him 'the prophecy's child' without little instruction or need. Cole is becoming distant again. His father still lingers around, but Cole has a sharp eye on him. Jay and Nya have only gotten closer, feeling as if they alone could help bring us all together although they are slowly coming undone. Misako's health has, again, begin to fail on her. It is hard to find a moment where she is far away from Minerva. My father is still teaching his student and is not around as often as I would like. But gratefully, my father will lend an ear to my concerns and give his opinion and advice when he is available. As for myself, I find that I could be at a 'crossroads.' I had wanted to believe that Minerva could plan her own life, but if she is showing signs similar to Lloyd, does this mean that her life could have been prophesied as well? I would ask Misako, but I know that asking her such a question would not improve her health.

But then even that makes me wonder; does Misako know something we do not?


	10. Entry 10: From Dr Julien's Notebook

_A man is not completely born until he be dead: Why then should we grieve that a new child is born among the immortals?_

_-Benjamin Franklin_

. . . . . . . .

My student and I have begun our new project. My student, Richard, has dubbed the project; 'Subject- Annabelle' in memorial of his recently departed daughter. This 'Subject- Annabelle' will be very much like my own Zane, but still very different and unique. This new robotic human will be able to age. Yes, age! Granted, this 'aging' ability would require the use of many different 'skins' to reflect this growing nature, but my student is prepared for this sort of casualty. 'Subject- Annabelle' will be completely built by my student, but I will oversee everything. That does not mean, however, that 'Subject-Annabelle' is free from my own personal programming. She will be loaded with all the same basic coding, wiring, and encryption that I had given Zane. But in technical terms, she would be her own unique creation. It makes me proud of my student when I think of this. Most of my pride lays in Zane though, and my student gratefully understands this.

Why does this pertain to Minerva? Well, I'm glad you asked! My student and I have calculated that 'Subject-Annabelle' will be fully functioning around the time Minerva would be around seven or so years old, so as an 'anniversary' gift, we will present 'Subject-Annabelle' as one of Minerva's first friends. If she'll accept 'Subject-Annabelle' as a friend of course. My student is fine with this; he has seen photos of Minerva (who I admit to sheepishly showing off like my own grand kid if Zane was able) and his daughter had been a little over seven when she departed. Although he may show signs of separation when the time comes, he knows he must, eventually, let the memory of his daughter go. This project will help him... but it could also make him feel worse as well.


	11. Entry 11: Alien Writing of a New Writer

_It's great meeting children because you never know what they will say.  
Roddy Doyle _

_. . . . . . . ._

minA

FlO

RinSe

i liKe CHASe mCAne

He iS niCe tWO eVRY One

i Want tWO be liKe Him WHen i bigeR

i liKe CROW He iS niCe An CaRe AbOUt me mUCH

Sane Said tHAt CROW iS ReallY FalCOn i nOt liSten

it iS FUnee tWO Cee Sane COnFUSD

Side Note by Kai: How is the kid forming sentences already? She just turned five!


	12. Entry 12: A Grandmother's Wish

_Time is shortening. But every day that I challenge this [...] and survive is a victory for me.  
-Ingrid Bergman _

. . . . . . . .

Hello. Mina, this is your grandmother Misako. I... When you are five years old, I will be... going from you. Not like Lloyd had did, I will be gone much... longer than that. You may not realize this, or you may. I've always thought you were very aware of things no child (or adult, most of the time) would care for.

We have kept the Destiny's Bounty until now. In truth, we never used it for anything anymore, and if we did, it never went through the air again. But, after I pass, I have made it clear that it will go to a boatman I had met while doing research. You may see the Bounty again some day, but not for a long while. By the time you see it again, you will be ready to leave to find Lloyd. I believe it.

I will be heavily encrypting this message so that no one else will know, but there is more about you than what I have told the others. You do have a prophecy. But the prophecy is... limited in wording. I believe, know, it may be you that fulfills this. I am just as certain of your prophecy as I was of Lloyd's. Please do not choose to harm yourself or future family because you feel our family is cursed with prophecies at young ages. We are not, we are just... special. Those with prophecies are more remembered than those who are not. They are remembered before they are born, they are remembered during their whole life long, and they are remembered when they die.

You are to... battle your father, as he was said to your grandfather, but there is mention of a female Serpentine that will try to sway you to kill your father. I do not know much more than that, but whatever you do, no matter how scorned you feel about your father later in life, do NOT be swayed! If you do, you will lead Ninjago into destruction. You will become much... much worse than what the Overlord had been. Mina... for the years I have known you, I wish you will never do it. But... I am afraid to admit... that the option of you not destroying Ninjago is... slim to say the least. I have faith in you to make the right decision, just as Lloyd or Garmadon had.

I love you Mina, as does Lloyd and anyone who has helped raised you. Please, never forget that. Please...


End file.
